Alice In Chains React To Fans Trashing William DuVall For Replacing Layne Staley

“I’ve never seen a singer prepare so much,” says Inez. “It’s so important for him to be a professional and give 110 percent every show, which inspires me. And you know he just has so much courage. He took a beating at the beginning when everyone was like ‘no Layne, no Chains,’ but he stuck with it.”

Inez said the band never actually expected to create new records in version 2.0. “We just wanted to go around the world one more time and say goodbye, and then it morphed into the ‘Black Gives Way to Blue’ album [in 2009], and here we are in 2018 talking about a new single and a 20-country tour before August. It really is special every night to know that people still dig our music, and we’re just happy to still be running away with the circus at our age.”

Though the band has remained mostly mum about the new album — the rumor is that it will come out in August — Cantrell divulged to Guitar World, “We certainly have something to say with this one. It’s a f—ing strong record … and it’s a record we haven’t done yet.”

Alice in Chains signed a new deal with BMG, which has Inez excited. “We’re talking videos and trying to come up with what the next [single] is, and listening to everyone’s take on the album, which has everyone really pumped,” he says. And of recording in Seattle, Inez admits, “We had great time up there last year. Now we feel we have a bit of new pure memories to reflect on.”